Horseshoe.



T. L. HITES.

HORSESHOE.

APPLICATION PILED'APR. 3, 1909.

946,131. Patented Jan. 11,1910

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQEQ THOMAS L. HITES, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SADIE C. HITES, OF SHREVE, OHIO.

I-IORSESHOE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. Hrrns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to cushioned pads for the heel ends of horseshoes; and the object of the improvement is to provide a pad having a body of rubber or other resilient material and a metallic face plate, with con tractible means in the body of the rubber and connected with the face plate for securing the pad to the shoe by the use of an ordinary horseshoe nail. These general objects of the invention and other minor advantages are attained by the construction and arrangement shown in a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shoe showing the pad attached in one end of the shoe and removed from the other end there of; F ig. 2, a perspective view of the detached pad; Fig. 3, an inner side perspective view of the face plate; Fig. 4, an inner side perspective view of the connecting yoke; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of one end of the shoe showing the pad secured therein; and Fig. 6, a transverse section of the same on the line of the nail.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The face plate 1 of the pad is preferably roughened on its exposed face as by the cross ribs 2, and the L-shaped brackets 3 made of metal or the like are formed or attached on the inner side thereof, the shanks of the brackets being preferably located at an interval inside the ends of the face plate, from which shanks the L portions are deflected inwardly and are provided with the slots 4. The U-shaped yoke 5 made of metal or the like is provided with the lateral flanges 6 adapted to normally rest on the L portions of the brackets, and these flanges are provided with the tongues 7 which are adapted to enter and to operate in the slots of the bracket.

The rubber body 8 of the pad is formed and vulcanized on the inner side of the face plate and around the brackets and the yoke, when the same are in their normal po- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 487,656.

sition with the flanges of the yoke in contact with the L portions of the brackets, as shown in Fig. 5; and the parts are so proportioned that the shanks and L portions of the brackets and the whole of the yoke are entirely embedded in the rubber body, thus leaving the same without any breaks or joints whatever in its exposed surfaces; and the cushion is preferably formed and vulcanized with the layer of woven fabric 9 011 its inner face, which serves to strengthen the body.

The sockets 10 are provided in the ends of the shoe 11 and are shaped to neatly receive the inner portions of the pads. The apertures l2 and 12'" are provided through the walls forming-the sides of each socket and the transverse aperture 13 is provided through the body of the pad, which apertures are preferably arranged to be nearly in line when the pad is entered in the socket, whereupon a securing pin preferably in the form of the ordinary horseshoe nail 14 is driven through the apertures and the point-' ed end is clenched against the side of the shoe, the aperture 12 being preferably countersunk to receive part or all of the head of the nail.

The parts are preferably so proportioned that the transverse aperture in the pad coincides with the concave side of the Ushaped yoke, and so that when the securing nail is driven through the apertures it will draw the yoke slightly inward, and with it the face plate brackets, whereby the face plate is likewise drawn inward to securely and positively compress the pad in its socket. It is evident that when the pad is further compressed in use, as by the weight of a horse, the slots of the L brackets are adapted to operate inward on the tongues of the yoke flanges, and to thereby contract the connecting devices; so that while the pad is securely held in its socket by the connecting devices, they do not interfere in any manner with the resilience of the body of the pad. It is also evident that the pad can be readily removed and replaced for renewal or repair by merely withdrawing and reinserting the securing nails.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A horseshoe having a socket therein with apertures in its walls, a resilient pad in the socket having a face plate thereon and a yoke therein with a contractible connection I having a face plate thereon and a yoke eniniade of metal or the like between the face bedded therein with a contractible connec- 10 plate and the yoke, there being an aperture tion made of metal or the like between the in the pad on the inner side of the yoke, and plate and the yoke. a pin adapted to be driven through the l THOMAS L. HITES.

, \Vitnesses:

) JOSEPH FREAsE,

RUTH A. lVIILLER.

several apertures to engage and draw the yoke to secure the pad in the socket.

2. A resilient pad for a horseshoe socket 

